Tidewater Emmaus

09/25/2026

I recently heard a devotional that had this angle about trees and it got me thinking…

We naturally notice what grows upward. The branches, the leaves, the blossoms, and eventually the fruit. But beneath the surface, where nobody is watching, the roots are growing too. They push through hard ground, work around rocks, press through resistance, and keep reaching for what will sustain everything above them.

Fruits and roots.

That picture feels a lot like our Tidewater Emmaus community.

The fruit we love most is easy to recognize. It is the Walks. It is seeing pilgrims arrive, watching God work through those three days, and then welcoming new Fourth Day members back into this community. That fruit is why so many of us continue to serve, sponsor, pray, team, give, and return.

But fruit does not appear without roots.

At the beginning of this year, I asked our community to “engage”. For me, that was never just about attendance. It meant getting back to our roots. It meant participating, praying, sponsoring, serving, listening, encouraging, stepping forward, and taking an active role in caring for the community we all say we love.

Much of the work that supports our Walks happens quietly and out of sight. Prayer. Planning. Preparing. Listening. Working through challenges. Making difficult decisions. Maintaining relationships. Caring for the structure that allows the community, the teams, and ultimately the pilgrims to experience what so many of us have come to love.

As CLD, I have seen both sides of that growth. There are beautiful moments above the ground, and there are also rocks, thorns, hard soil, and obstacles beneath it (see Parable of the Sower; Mark 4:1-20). Board service is often found in both places. Sometimes we get to see the fruit. Other times, we are simply called to keep tending the roots.

That is why this season of Board solicitation matters.

We currently have one application to serve, and four members will complete their Board terms this year. I would simply ask our community to prayerfully consider whether God may be calling you to help tend these roots for a season.

Serving on the Board is not about holding a position. It is about engaging more deeply in the life of this community and helping care for what makes the Walks possible, so that future pilgrims can experience the same gift so many of us were once given.

“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7 NLT

We love the fruit.

God calls us to also engage by helping care for the roots and by that, strengthen the entire tree.

DeColores 🤟

-Andy

The Tidewater Emmaus Community is always looking for qualified candidates willing to serve on the Tidewater Emmaus Board of Director's. ​Detailed qualifications for serving can be found in Tidewater Emmaus By-Laws, Article VI - Board of Directors.​​

09/20/2026

What a meaningful Gathering for the Tidewater Emmaus Community.

We came together in worship and fellowship, celebrated our teams as they start preparing now for the Spring Walks, heard an amazing 4th Day testimony from Renee James, and by majority vote adopted the revised Tidewater Emmaus By-Laws. Thank you to everyone who participated in that process and helped us continue strengthening the foundation from which this community serves.

We also had the opportunity to hear from several of our Board members about what it means to serve the Tidewater community in that capacity. Board service is more than attending meetings or casting votes. It is a season of listening, praying, working through difficult questions, caring for the health of the community, and helping steward something that belongs to all of us.

There is work involved, but there is also tremendous blessing in serving alongside others who love this community and want to see it remain faithful to its purpose.

If you feel God may be placing Board service on your heart, we encourage you to prayerfully consider applying online. And if you have questions about what serving looks like, please reach out to any current or former Board member. They can share their experience, answer questions, and help you better understand the commitment and the blessing that comes with serving.

Thank you to everyone who worshiped, fellowshipped, shared, listened, and participated. As we move forward toward Spring, we do so together, trusting His timing and continuing the work of making disciples through Christian action, leadership, and love.

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10 NKJV

DeColores! 🤟

-Andy, TW-86
TWE, CLD

Greetings! We are excited that you are interested in accepting the Lords call to serve on the Tidewater Emmaus Board of Directors. Please complete this candidate application. This form will be reviewed by the Board of Directors to bring forward for formal nomination at a Gathering.

09/16/2026

Tidewater Emmaus Community,

After discussion and a quorum decision by the Board of Directors, we have made the decision to push the Fall Men’s and Women’s Walks to our Spring 2027 dates:

Men’s Walk: April 15-18, 2027
Women’s Walk: April 22-25, 2027

This decision was not made lightly, and it was not based on finances alone. Let me add:

The Board had previously established a minimum threshold of 20 pilgrims at the 30-day point before a Walk begins. That number was set for several reasons. A Walk is designed around the proper balance of pilgrims, team members, tables, talks, worship, meals, and the overall schedule. If participation falls below that level, the team outweighs the pilgrim body, table dynamics change, portions of the schedule become harder to support as intended, and the Walk loses the pilgrim-centered balance we are trying to protect.

At the Men’s 30-day decision point, the Walk had 16 confirmed pilgrims with one possible, which was below the standard the Board had already established.

The Women’s Walk had not yet reached its 30-day point and still had 19 days remaining. However, with 5 confirmed pilgrims and no additional applications received during the previous two weeks, the Board quorum reviewed this participation trend and determined it was appropriate to push the Women’s Walk rather than wait until the final deadline.

There is also an important Camp Cale piece to this decision. Our agreement requires a firm commitment 30 days prior to the Walk beginning. After speaking with the Camp Director, I want to communicate the grace involved on both sides of that requirement. Camp Cale not only needs notice to prepare, staff, purchase, and plan, but they also need the opportunity to fill the space we leave open if we are not coming.

Giving them that advance notice is not only gracious to us, it is the proper and responsible thing for both Tidewater Emmaus and Camp Cale. It gives them the opportunity to meet their own ministry and business needs while allowing us to move our commitment forward without an unnecessary (and hefty) financial loss.

There was also discussion about momentum. We absolutely recognize the importance of recent pilgrims returning energized, sponsoring others, and stepping into service. But we do not believe momentum alone should cause us to move away from a standard the Board prayerfully established. A "pushed" Walk does not mean the work already done is lost. The team formation, sponsorship conversations, prayer, preparation, and community engagement can all carry forward into the Spring.

And to our community, THANK YOU for continuing to have faith in the timing of these Walks. Emmaus has never been about chasing a number. The Walk, the timing, and especially SPONSORSHIP have always been centered on prayer, discernment, and giving someone the gift of Emmaus when YOU feel led to do so.

That is also why we intentionally do not advertise pilgrim numbers throughout the sponsorship season. We never want Sponsorship to become about “making the number.” We want it to remain about prayerfully identifying someone in your life and offering them the gift of a Walk to Emmaus.

The numbers help the Board make responsible decisions about when a Walk can be conducted as intended. They do not define the ministry, and they should never become the reason we sponsor.

At the same time, there is something exciting about what a full Walk of 30 pilgrims can look and feel like. Full tables. Strong discussion. New relationships forming across the room. A team serving at the right balance. Worship, talks, meals, and the entire schedule working together the way it was designed. That is the kind of experience we should be excited to prepare for and prayerfully work toward this Spring.

Sometimes the season we planned for is not the season in which the Walk happens. We will continue to work, invite, sponsor, pray, and prepare, while trusting that His timing is greater than ours.

This is not a cancellation. It is a push.

The work continues, the invitation remains open, and we now have additional time to prepare well for TW-140 and TW-141 this Spring.

See you this Saturday at Spring Branch CC where we plan to still worship, fellowship, and pray over these Spring Emmaus Teams together.

DeColores.🤟

-Andy, TW-86
TWE CLD

09/14/2026

09/13/2026

As TW-140 and TW-141 draw closer, we are at an important point in our preparation.

Our minimum pilgrim submission deadline to Camp Cale is Monday evening for the Men’s Walk and October 4 for the Women’s Walk. At this point, we have not yet reached the minimum needed for either walk.

This is not about chasing a number or filling seats. It is about prayerfully considering who God may already be placing on our hearts and then being willing to extend the invitation.

Think about the friend, coworker, neighbor, family member, or fellow believer who may benefit from a few days set apart to experience Christian community, grace, encouragement, and the love of Christ.

Please pray about it, make the call, and have the conversation. Sponsorship begins with someone simply being willing to ask.

As much as possible, pilgrim fees should be submitted at the time of application so we can properly prepare and meet our commitments to Camp Cale. However, please do not let finances keep someone from being sponsored. If assistance is needed, please ask. We will work through it together.

We trust God with the outcome, but we also have a part to play in the invitation.

“The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” Luke 10:2 NLT

DeColores! 🤟

-Andy, TW-86
TWE CLD

The board takes seriously its responsibility to be the instrument of the Holy Spirit in selecting the pilgrims and teams for Emmaus walks. The following directions address how the board gives consideration for those applying to sponsor or team.

08/17/2026

What a wonderful evening of fellowship (and cookies) at Light of Hope UMC this past Saturday.

As summer begins to give way to the fall season, Tidewater Emmaus is turning its attention toward TW-140 and TW-141. Teaming is beginning, our fall Walks are drawing closer, and there is so much for this community to celebrate and, more importantly, to cover in prayer.

Please pray intentionally for our teams as they begin preparing together. Pray for the Walk Leaders, clergy, conference room teams, support teams, speakers, and every servant God is bringing together. And as we pray for the teams, let those prayers turn outward toward the pilgrims God is already preparing for October and November.

That leads directly to sponsorship. Sponsorship deserves prayerful discernment. Please prayerfully consider who you're asking and who God may be placing in front of us, whether that person may be ready, and whether we are prepared to accept the responsibility that comes with sponsoring them. Sponsorship includes the Walk, but it also includes the Fourth Day that follows: Gatherings, Reunion Groups, teaming, encouragement, and continued Christian community. Sponsorship is not simply an invitation.

It is a commitment.

We were also blessed by Teri George and her Fourth Day Talk, another reminder that the Walk does not end on Sunday. The Fourth Day is where what God begins during those 72 hours is carried into everyday life.

There is also important community business ahead. The review period for the proposed Tidewater Emmaus By-Law revision has been extended one additional month to provide maximum opportunity for community review. The revision remains available on the Tidewater Emmaus website (also attached) and is scheduled to come before the community for formal adoption in September.

As we prepare spiritually for the fall Walks, there is also practical work ahead at Camp Cale. Our October and November Walk dates are approaching, and preparing the grounds is one more way this community can serve together before the pilgrims ever arrive. From getting spaces ready to supporting the behind-the-scenes needs of the weekend, that preparation matters. Every act of service helps create the environment where our teams can focus on ministry and where pilgrims can experience the love, care, and hospitality of the Emmaus community.

And September will give us another reason to gather. Our next Gathering will be at Spring Branch Community Church, where we will celebrate the TW-140 and TW-141 Team Dedication Service together.

Finally, several Tidewater Emmaus Board positions will begin opening over the coming months. Please begin praying about where God may be calling you to serve. Rather than only asking, “Who should serve?” perhaps the better prayer is: “Lord, are You calling me?”

“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Isaiah 6:8

Teaming is beginning.

Pilgrims are being prayed over.

Sponsorship is underway.

Camp Cale is being prepared.

New servants are being called.

And another season of Tidewater Emmaus is unfolding.

There is so much to celebrate.

More importantly, there is so much to pray for!

DeColores! 🤟

-Andy, TW-86
TWE CLD

By-Laws HERE--->https://2ef7aacb-314d-4848-a107-847967baae27.filesusr.com/ugd/22ae71_c5e7166f0b644f6aab998067dec7d044.pdf

07/19/2026

What a wonderful evening for the Tidewater Emmaus community.

Last night, we gathered for the first time at Great Neck Baptist Church, and we are deeply grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to us. It was a joy to worship together, reconnect as a community, and hear Steve Kurrle share a thoughtful Fourth Day message that reminded us the Walk is never intended to be the destination. It is a beginning, followed by a daily decision to continue walking with Christ and serving where He places us. He is our Firm Foundation.

We also celebrated the formation of the teams for TW-140 and TW-141. Team selection is always an exciting moment, but it is also a reminder that preparing for a Walk belongs to the entire community. Some are called to serve inside the conference room. Others will serve through prayer, agape, letters, logistical support, encouragement, and faithful sponsorship. Each role matters, and each is an expression of the same servant heart.

As we now turn our attention toward the upcoming Walks, this is a good time to revisit one of the most important responsibilities entrusted to us: sponsorship.

Sponsorship is not primarily about filling empty spaces or inviting everyone we know. It is not about fixing someone, recreating our own Walk experience for them, or convincing a reluctant person to attend. Sponsorship begins with prayer and discernment. It asks, “Lord, is there someone You have placed in my path who may be ready for this gift?”

We should prayerfully consider Christians who are dependable servants, church leaders, quiet members who faithfully support their congregations, those whose faith may need encouragement or rekindling, and those who genuinely hunger to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. Emmaus is strengthened when its pilgrims represent the broad life of the Church, including different congregations, traditions, ages, experiences, and perspectives, while remaining centered on the essential truths of our shared Christian faith.

Discernment also means recognizing when the timing may not be right. A person walking through an immediate emotional crisis, attending only because of pressure from others, seeking merely a temporary spiritual high, or showing little interest in Christian faith and community may not yet be ready to receive what the Walk offers. This is not judgment or exclusion. It is an act of care. Sometimes the most loving response is to continue praying, remain present, and allow God to prepare the person and the timing.

When someone does say yes, the sponsor’s responsibility has only begun. Sponsors pray, complete the process, help remove practical obstacles, support the family, gather letters, remain connected throughout the weekend, and walk beside the new pilgrim as they enter their Fourth Day. Sponsorship is not simply extending an invitation. It is a commitment to serve someone before, during, and after the Walk.

The teams are beginning their preparation. Now the community begins ours.

Let us pray for TW-140 and TW-141, for the leaders and teams being formed, for the pilgrims God may already be preparing, and for the wisdom to recognize those He may be placing upon our hearts. May we serve faithfully, sponsor thoughtfully, and continue building a community where renewal leads to deeper discipleship, stronger churches, and lives more fully surrendered to Christ.

DeColores! 🤟
-Andy, TW-86
TWE CLD

07/13/2026

As we enjoy the slower pace of summer, it’s hard to imagine the fall Walks already taking shape. But God often begins writing those stories long before any of us see the pages.

When you submit a team application, you’re not just volunteering for a position. You’re making yourself available for a divine appointment you may never see coming.

There may be a pilgrim who needs to hear your story. A teammate who will become a lifelong friend. A quiet conversation in the dining hall, a prayer in the chapel, or a simple act of kindness that God uses to change a heart forever. None of those moments can be planned, yet they happen on every Walk because faithful servants simply said…

“Yes.”

The beautiful part is that we rarely know whose life God intends to touch through us, or whose life will end up touching ours. Our responsibility isn’t to know the outcome. It’s simply to be willing.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

If the Lord has been nudging your heart, consider submitting a team application. Let Him take care of the rest.

De Colores. 🤟

-Andy, TWE CLD

The board takes seriously its responsibility to be the instrument of the Holy Spirit in selecting the pilgrims and teams for Emmaus walks. The following directions address how the board gives consideration for those applying to sponsor or team.